One of the largest problems with government these days is knowing where to draw the line on its responsibilities.

That results in taking on projects and services that should be left to private or non-profit entities that can do them better. Or, much worse, it forces the burden onto others through unfunded mandates.

Once something becomes a cog in the wheel of government, it’s hard to remove it. Competing priorities make that all but impossible.

An abject lesson in this phenomenon can be found in the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Both are maintained and operated by the state.

In case you’ve forgotten, though, the state is both broke and broken.

Because of that, more than $180 million in needed maintenance at the fairgrounds in Springfield and DuQuoin has been deferred. Yellow caution tape marks unsafe structures that have joined the ranks of other work pushed to the side — from roads to buildings — as lawmakers continue to ignore a budget impasse that has now gone on longer than it takes to have a child.

Gov. Bruce Rauner would like to take the fairgrounds out of the equation by creating a foundation that would be able to accept private donations toward their upkeep. The move could save taxpayers millions of dollars, and help reinvigorate the appearance presented to the thousands of people from Illinois and other states who visit the two state fairs each year.

It is not a new approach. Neighboring states like Missouri, Indiana and Iowa have such foundations and accept private donations. In Illinois at present, there is no mechanism to be able to do that.

Companion bills have been filed in the House and Senate — House Bill 4990 and Senate Bill 2903 — and are awaiting action from legislators.

It will be interesting to see what happens next. The dysfunction of the state legislature seems to become heightened whenever the Rauner administration expresses support for an initiative, so expect arguments about why this isn’t in the best interest of the state.

That contention is a stretch. Illinois would not be turning over ownership or control of its annual showcase agriculture and its importance to the state.

It’s important to remember that the state fair is not the only attraction that draws crowds to the fairgrounds, either. They are used for numerous events throughout the year, bringing people and money into the community.

“This legislation will allow us to preserve the fairgrounds for the fair, as well as attract more events to the area that will positively benefit our community,” state Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez said.

Meeting the demands of financial constraints requires a willingness to scrap long-established linear thinking and explore reasonable ideas for the future.